JP2011016130A - System and method of water treatment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system and a method which can suppress corrosion and enables a user to treat water on a ship.SOLUTION: An oxygen stripping gas preferably but optionally may be pumped directly to a venturi injector, or may first be pumped into an empty tank and then may be delivered to an injector means to generate such an oxygen stripping gas. Water pumped through the injector via a transfer piping means comes into contact with the oxygen stripping gas, and dissolved oxygen in the water transfers to micro-fine air bubbles produced by the injector. The water and the micro-fine gas bubbles are pumped from the injector to the tank, where the micro-fine gas bubbles float to the surface and the oxygen is released to a head space of the tank. The deoxygenated water may be recirculated through the system for additional deoxygenation or may be released from the tank to the surrounding water ways.

Description

  Water treatment systems and methods that use venturi injectors facilitate the removal of dissolved oxygen from water, thereby reducing the number of undesirable aquatic organisms in the water while simultaneously inhibiting corrosion. Water treatment systems and methods are particularly effective for use in connection with ships, treating ballast water that is transported from one port area to another, thereby limiting adverse environmental impacts and at the same time inhibiting corrosion can do. Water treatment systems and methods may have other uses, such as oil production.

  For example, in a ship, before leaving the port in an empty or partially loaded state, water is loaded into the ballast tank to maintain stability and adjust buoyancy. In virtually all cases, this ballast water includes living organisms that are affected by the level of dissolved oxygen in the water. When a ship arrives at its destination and is ready to load, it releases this ballast water, which introduces potentially invasive species into the water environment of the destination port It will be. About 40,000 large cargo ships carry billions of tons of ballast water around the world each year and are thought to be the cause of introducing hundreds of marine invasive species into a non-native environment. ing. The total cost of such aggression is indeterminate, but some estimates are billions of dollars.

  To address this issue, governments in many countries and US state governments have regulations that control ballast water management. The International Maritime Organization has proposed draft guidelines for the recommended treatment of ballast water. The US Coast Guard is currently developing guidelines for future ballast water treatment requirements for vessels that trade in US ports.

  The overwhelming majority of the world's fleet, including warships and merchant ships, is built of steel. Steel corrodes when exposed to oxygen and water. The corroded steel structure of ships has extensive measures taken to reduce seaworthiness and avoid or repair it. Estimated costs of protection and repair of ship corrosion reach billions of dollars annually worldwide.

  One area of the vessel where corrosion is of particular concern is the ballast water tank. For example, the largest oil tanker may have a ballast water capacity of 15,000,000 gallons (57,000 tons). Conditions that promote rapid corrosion are created by exposing the ballast tank structure to water (in many cases, salt water) for a long period of time. As of this writing, the cost of painting a ballast tank is typically $ 5.00 to $ 10.00 per square foot, while other estimates suggest the cost of repairing a corroded area per square foot. About $ 500.

  Accordingly, a system that treats water to eliminate aquatic organisms while providing corrosion inhibition in a time and cost effective manner is desirable. One form of eliminating aquatic organisms in ballast water is through deoxygenation of water when taking water from the surrounding waterways. The concentration of the solute gas in the solution is directly proportional to the partial pressure of the gas above the solution (this physical phenomenon is governed by Henry's law, which can be calculated using the Henry's law constant for that solute) . Thus, when exposed to stripping gas (nitrogen or other low oxygen gas mixture), oxygen is easily diffused from water containing 6-10 ppm dissolved oxygen, with about 79 percent nitrogen and 21 percent oxygen. Attempts to return to a mixture present in some air. The use of nitrogen gas to remove dissolved oxygen present in ballast water has been recorded as providing a ballast water treatment means that is efficient and economically desirable while at the same time providing a corrosion inhibiting effect. Mario N. Tambuli et al .: Prevention of aqueous introduction and reduction of ship corrosion made possible by ballast water deoxygenation, see Biolog. Conserv. (2002) 103: 331-341. Henry's law constants for various possible stripping gases and mixtures thereof indicate that various gases can be used to deoxygenate water.

  An efficient way to expose dissolved oxygen in water to stripping gas on board is to form gas microbubbles in water. Fine stripping gas bubbles formed in water have the ability to transfer dissolved oxygen from the water when the fine bubbles float from the bottom of the tank to the top. A generally accepted, efficient, safe and reliable method for forming microbubbles is through the use of a venturi injector.

  Water treatment, and more particularly, ballast water treatment apparatus and methods are desirable to allow water transported from one port area to another port area to be processed on a ship. Such treatment limits the environmentally hazardous effects that can occur at a later point in time when releasing water into an environment that is ecologically different from the environment from which it was originally obtained.

  The use of water treatment equipment and methods is known in the prior art. For example, US Pat. No. 6,171,508 to Browning discloses a method and apparatus for killing microorganisms in ship ballast water. However, the Browning '508 patent does not use a stripping gas to deoxygenate ballast water, and as a result, does not disclose any corrosion-inhibiting properties, and further has a less efficient vacuum mechanism. Has the disadvantage of removing dissolved oxygen from the ballast water.

  US Pat. No. 6,125,778 to Rodden discloses ballast water treatment using ozone to treat ballast water. However, the Rodden '778 patent does not provide anything related to corrosion and does not use more efficient venturi injector facilitating means to treat ballast water.

  Similarly, US Pat. No. 5,192,451 to Gill discloses a method of treating ballast water with a water soluble dialkyldiallyl quaternary ammonium polymer to control zebra mussels in ship ballast tanks. However, Gill'451 patent does not allow water treatment without chemical reaction and does not provide any corrosion inhibiting properties.

  In addition, US Pat. Nos. 5,376,282 and 5,578,116 to Chang both use vacuum and agitation to remove dissolved oxygen from water for the purpose of suppressing zebra clam survival. Is disclosed. However, the '282 and' 116 patents do not provide a more efficient venturi injector-enhanced stripping gas feed to deoxygenate ballast water, and in addition, the dissolved oxygen from the water It has the disadvantage of not providing a corrosion inhibiting effect during removal.

  In US Pat. No. 6,126,842 to Decca, a low-concentration ozone wastewater treatment method is provided that injects a gas mixture of low-concentration ozone gas in oxygen into a wastewater stream and simultaneously mixes to provide for removal of wastewater contaminants. Is disclosed. However, while the Decca '842 patent provides an efficient ozone-based treatment system using a venturi injector, it does not disclose the treatment of ballast water on ships, and the' 842 patent It does not provide the greater benefits obtained by using an oxygen stripping gas, such as improved corrosion and inhibition of corrosion.

  US Pat. No. 6,274,052 to Hartwig discloses ozonation of pool water using a series of venturi injectors to deliver ozone. However, the Hartwig '052 patent does not disclose injecting an oxygen stripping gas into the water through a venturi injector for the purpose of deoxygenating the water, and any corrosion inhibiting effect during the described process. Has the additional flaw of not providing.

  US Pat. No. 4,246,111 to Savart discloses an apparatus for biologically treating wastewater and biologically purifying treated water. However, the Savall '111 patent does not use an oxygen stripping gas and does not provide corrosion inhibition for the deoxygenation of water, which is preferred but optionally ballast water.

  Finally, US Pat. No. 3,676,983 to Noord discloses an apparatus and method for removing liquid gases using a vacuum chamber and agitation. However, Noord's' 983 patent requires liquid cavitation and does not use a venturi injector that facilitates more efficient degassing of the liquid.

  While the invention described above meets its specific objectives and requirements, the above patent allows water transported from one port area to another port area to be treated on a ship, while at the same time preventing corrosion. The provided system and method are not described.

  The above patents and other water treatment systems and methods currently known in the art define water treatment using an injector means that promotes deoxygenation by stripping gas while providing corrosion inhibition. Not.

  In view of the above disadvantages inherent in known types of water treatment systems and methods currently existing in the prior art, the present invention facilitates water deoxygenation and is an injector that is a preferred but optionally venturi injector. An improved system and method using oxygen stripping gas injected through the means is provided to overcome the disadvantages and disadvantages noted in the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the invention is to be predicted, unambiguously provided, proposed, or proposed by the prior art or any combination thereof, as described in more detail below, with all the advantages of the prior art described above. It is to provide a new and improved water treatment system and method with a number of new features that result in an unimplied water treatment system and method.

  To accomplish this, the present invention is a container and optionally but preferably a venturi injector having an inlet port for receiving water, an injector port for receiving oxygen stripping gas, and an outlet port for discharging water. A water treatment system having injector means. The water enters the inlet port and passes through the injector where it contacts the stripping gas received through the injector port of the injector means. The water is then discharged from the outlet port into the container. The stripping gas received by the injector means is from a gas generating source. The gas may be injected by means of a first gas conveying means for connecting a gas source to a container, which may be preferably a ballast tank, and a second gas conveying means for connecting the container to an injector port of the injector means. Can be sent to. Alternatively, the container may optionally be a water pipe through which water passes directly from the injector means to the surrounding waterway.

  In combination with, or in the alternative to, the first and second gas delivery means, a gas source is coupled to the injector port of the injector means, thereby delivering a stripping gas directly from the source to the injector port. There may be gas conveying means. Preferably, but optionally, the injector means is provided in the transfer pipe means such that the inlet port receives the water passing through the transfer pipe means and the outlet port discharges water again to the transfer pipe means which can be connected to the container. Connected in series. Additionally, in order to control the flow of stripping gas to the injector means, a booster blower and / or a regulator, which is preferably a demand valve, is preferably connected between the container and the injector means. You may attach in series with a ripping gas conveyance means. Preferably but optionally, the pump means, which is a ballast pump as found in many ships, can receive water from an external water source and pump water through the injector means.

  The system may further include recirculation means for taking water into the container, recirculating water from the container via the recirculation pipe means, and feeding water back into the container through the injector means. This recirculation means is optionally but preferably monitored by a sensor which can be activated by the control panel means, which sensor is preferably but optionally gaseous oxygen which monitors the level of oxygen present in the water to be treated. And a dissolved oxygen sensor. The present invention may further include a reoxygenation means and a reoxygenation step that occurs before the release of deoxygenated water. This reoxygenation serves to reduce the negative environmental impact that can occur when a large amount of deoxygenated water is released into the surrounding waterway. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

  Numerous objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments, which are presently preferred but still exemplary, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It will be. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application by the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various forms. It should also be understood that the wording and terminology utilized herein is for purposes of explanation and should not be taken as a limitation.

  As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the concepts upon which this disclosure is based can be readily utilized as a basis for designing other configurations, methods, and systems that practice some of the objectives of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

  Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved system and method for water treatment that has the advantages of prior art water treatment devices and methods, as well as additional advantages and benefits.

  Yet another object of the present invention is to provide new water treatment systems and methods that provide some of the advantages of prior art systems and methods, while at the same time overcoming some of the commonly associated drawbacks. is there.

  Yet another object of the present invention is a system that uses an oxygen stripping gas, thereby delivering the stripping gas more efficiently than other sparging or bubble diffusion gas delivery methods. This allows for an economically favorable method that limits the negative environmental impact that can occur when untreated water is released into an environment that is ecologically different from the environment in which it was originally obtained. It becomes.

  Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a water treatment system and method that allows water to be treated on a ship with an oxygen stripping gas that is preferably but optionally injected into the water stream by a venturi injector. That is. This makes it possible to efficiently treat the water, preferably but optionally ballast water, while providing corrosion inhibition, reducing the overall maintenance costs and costs associated with water treatment.

  Additionally, the present invention further provides a water treatment system and method that uses stripping gas enhanced deoxygenation to strip oxygen from water. This oxygen stripping system and method increases efficiency and allows water treatment without the use of chemicals.

  It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method of deoxygenating water, preferably as part of the objective of inhibiting the survival of aquatic organisms and / or inhibiting corrosion. The method includes utilizing an injector means, preferably an optional venturi injector, having an inlet port for receiving water, an injector port for receiving stripping gas, and an outlet port for discharging water. The water to be treated is supplied to the inlet port, the stripping gas is supplied to the injector port, and countless fine bubbles are introduced into the water, and oxygen in the water is transferred from the aqueous phase to the gas phase in the fine bubbles. Diffused. The method further includes discharging water and microbubbles from the outlet port of the injector means to a container, preferably but optionally a ballast tank, wherein the microbubbles are released from the water and oxygen Is thereby diffused from the water. This method of deoxygenating water may further comprise recycling the water through injector means to provide further deoxygenation, preferably but optionally a ballast tank, or alternatively However, it may further include, but is not limited to, reoxygenating the water prior to discharging water from the container, which is a closed tank or a water pipe connected to the peripheral water channel, into the peripheral water channel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved system and method for water treatment that can be easily and efficiently manufactured and sold.
Finally, the object of the present invention is a new improvement for water treatment that is relatively low in manufacturing costs, both in terms of material and labor, and thus can be sold to the general consumer and consumer industry at a relatively low price. System and method are provided.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the key features of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood and the current contribution to this technology will be better appreciated.
The objectives of the invention, along with various novel features that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the present invention, its operational advantages, and specific objectives achieved by its use, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and description, in which the present embodiments of the invention are illustrated. It is. The same reference numbers refer to the same parts throughout the various views.

The present invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent by consideration of the following detailed description. In this description, reference is made to the following accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a process flow diagram of a current embodiment of a water treatment system and method constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the water treatment system and method of the present invention located in a ship. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a ship that internally includes the water treatment system and method of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a front view of the water treatment system and method of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a front view of the venturi injector components of the water treatment system and method of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front view of the closed recirculation system of the present invention provided in the tank.

Embodiment

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1-5, a current embodiment of the water treatment system and method of the present invention is illustrated and indicated generally by the reference numeral 10.
In FIG. 1, a new and improved water using stripping gas deoxygenation, which can treat water transported from one port area to another on a ship while providing corrosion inhibition. A basic flow diagram of the processing system 10 will be described by way of example. More specifically, the water treatment system 10 using stripping gas deoxygenation has water intake means 12 through which water enters from the outside of the ship. Thereafter, the water is fed into the inlet port of the injector means 16 such as a venturi injector through pump means such as the ballast pump 14. Oxygen stripping gas obtained from the stripping gas source 18 is accelerated by the booster blower 20 to the inlet port of the injector means 16 and is further controlled by a regulator 22 which is preferably but optionally a demand valve. obtain. Additionally, stripping gas may be fed from the stripping gas source 18 into a vessel 24, which is preferably but optionally a marine ballast tank.

  The stripping gas fed into the injector means 16 comes into contact with water in the injector means 16. The mixture of stripping gas and water is fed from the injector means 16 into a container 24, i.e. a ship ballast tank. As the mixture enters the interior of the container 24, dissolved oxygen and stripping gas from the water combined within the microbubbles generated by the injector means 16 float to the headspace 26 of the container 24. In order to monitor the amount of dissolved oxygen remaining in the water, a series of sensors, preferably a gaseous oxygen sensor 28 and a dissolved oxygen sensor 30, may optionally be present in the container 24. In addition, control panel means 32 may be present for further adjustment and control of the sensors and the entire system. In order to regulate the pressure in the container, a pressure valve and / or a series of pressure valves 34 are usually placed on top of the container 24 to passively release the gas. If necessary, some of the water in the vessel 24 is preferably recirculated to the recirculation intake port 36, depending on the determination and / or control by a series of sensors that can be controlled by the control panel means 32. It may be circulated and fed back into the container 24 through the ballast pump 14 and the injector means 16.

  FIG. 2 represents the water treatment system of the present invention when positioned on a ship, large ship, or other sailing ship. As shown, the water, which is preferred but optionally ballast water, is typically loaded onto the vessel by water intake means 12 located at the stern of the vessel. Thereafter, the water is fed into the injector means 16 such as a venturi injector through pump means such as the ballast pump 14. The oxygen stripping gas obtained from the stripping gas source 18 is then fed into the injector means 16 through the booster blower 20. The booster blower 20 can also play a role in controlling the amount of stripping gas introduced into the water so as not to be delayed by the movement of the stripping gas by water in the vessel of the ship.

  Stripping gas is further fed from the stripping gas source 18 to the container 24 or ballast tank to provide further corrosion inhibition in the empty container 24. The stripping gas fed into the injector means 16 comes into contact with water in the injector means 16 and the two mixtures are fed from the injector means 16 into a vessel vessel 24 which is optionally a ballast tank. Dissolved oxygen and stripping gas from the water combined in the microbubbles generated by the injector means 16 enters the container 24 and floats to the headspace 26 in the container 24 or other area on the water. A series of pressure valves 34, preferably but optionally located at the top of the vessel and extending to the ship's deck, control the level of pressure inside the vessel 24 at any given time.

  FIG. 3 illustrates the ship from above to represent the position of the water treatment system within the ship. As shown, the water treatment system 10 feeds water into a vessel, which is preferably but optionally located at or near the stern of the vessel, and preferably a ballast tank 24 located within the vessel.

  In FIG. 4, the present invention is illustrated such that water from the surrounding waterway enters the vessel through transfer pipe means 38. The water is then pumped through pump means such as the ballast pump 14 to the inlet port of the injector means 16, which is optionally but preferably a venturi injector connected in series with the transfer pipe means 38. The transfer pipe means 38 may incorporate a network of jet nozzles, preferably but optionally, for feeding water into the vessel. The oxygen stripping gas is preferably but optionally contains at least 90% nitrogen and is obtained from the gas source 18 and is preferably, optionally, in a ballast tank via the first stripping gas transport means 40. It is fed into an empty container 24. This stripping gas is then sent from the container 24 to the inlet port of the injector means 16 by the second stripping gas conveying means 42.

  The feeding of the stripping gas to the injector means 16 may be accelerated by the booth table 20. The booster blower 20 increases the amount of stripping gas introduced into the water in order to adjust the amount of stripping gas displacement due to the water in the container 24, which may be a ballast tank, a water mass, or a water tube or the like. The function may be further fulfilled. The stripping gas fed into the injector means 16 comes into contact with water in the injector means 16 and becomes a mixture of the stripping gas and water, and is sent from the injector means 16 to the container 24 through the transfer pipe means 38. The space between the container (s) 24 preferably represents a cargo area 44, etc., generally configured in this way on a ship. To monitor the amount of released oxygen and the amount of dissolved oxygen remaining in the water, a series of sensors, preferably a gaseous oxygen sensor 28 and a dissolved oxygen sensor 30, may be present in the container (s) 24 Optionally, control panel means may be present to activate and control the system.

  FIG. 5 shows a venturi injector 46 attached in series to the transfer pipe means 36. In this example, the Venturi injector is a model 12050-SMZazei injector manufactured by MazzeiInjector Corporation of Bakersfield, California. The structure and operation of this Mazzei injector is illustrated and described in US Pat. No. 5,563,128 issued Jan. 26, 1999 to Angelo L. Mazzei, the disclosure of which is To the same extent as described herein in their entirety, they are hereby incorporated by reference.

  Water from the pump means enters the inlet port 48 of the venturi injector 46. The oxygen stripping gas is fed into the venturi injector 44 through the injector port 50 and the water and stripping gas contact at the contracted portion 52 of the venturi injector 46. The water and stripping gas are then pumped out of the shrinking portion 52, and then the dissolved oxygen and stripping gas that were once present in the water are generated by pumping the stripping gas and water through the venturi injector 46. It passes through the outlet port 46 of the venturi injector 46 in a state of being taken into the fine bubbles 56 formed. The fine bubbles 56 and the water partially deoxygenated at this point move from the outlet port 54 to the transfer pipe means 38, which transfers the deoxygenated water and fine bubbles to the final. Additional deoxygenation can occur within the container.

  FIG. 6 shows a closed recirculation system in the container. Untreated water enters container 24 through transfer pipe means 38, which is an optional but preferably sealable tank. In the container 24, a pump means 14 is provided for sending water through an additional transfer pipe 38. The water then enters the inlet port 48 of the injector means 16, which is optional but preferably a venturi injector. Within the constricted portion 52 of the injector means 16, the water contacts oxygen stripping gas received from the injector port 50 of the injector means 16. An optional but preferably stripping gas source 18 located proximate to the exterior of the container 24 produces a stripping gas that is fed into the injector port 50 by gas conveying means.

  Most of the dissolved oxygen present in the water and the stripping gas are then discharged from the shrinking portion 52 in the form of fine bubbles generated by sending the stripping gas and water through the injector means 16. Pass through port 54. The transfer pipe 38 connected to the outlet port 54 transfers the fine bubbles and the water partially deoxygenated at this point from the injector means into the container 24 through the jet nozzle 58. Within the container 24, the fine bubbles move to the head space 26 in the container, thereby releasing oxygen from the water. A pressure valve 34 or a series of pressure valves may be provided at the top of the container 24 to prevent pressure build up inside the container 24. The water in the container 24 may be continuously recirculated. The level of dissolved oxygen and stripping gas can be monitored to determine the rate of recirculation and / or the rate at which treated water is discharged from the vessel 24, optionally through an additional transfer pipe. There may be a series of sensors and / or control panel means.

  Preferably, when water is sent to the ship through the injector means such as a venturi injector, the water treatment described in this specification is performed, and it is preferable that the oxygen stripping gas introduced into the injector means comes into contact with water. is not. In general, the pump means, which may be one or a series of pumps, draws water from the water channel surrounding the ship into the transfer pipe means. The oxygen stripping gas source on the ship may be an osmotic membrane nitrogen generator, ship flue gas, inert gas generator, or other standard source or method known in the art. The feeding of the stripping gas can be controlled through a booster blower and / or a regulator connected in series with the stripping gas conveying means connected to the injector means. The stripping gas source is connected by a stripping gas conveying means to the container, preferably but optionally the ballast tank (s), or optionally both the containers and the injector means.

  The stripping gas may be fed into the container by the stripping gas conveying means to fill the container. Another stripping gas conveying means allows the stripping gas to flow through the injector means. The stripping gas conveying means may be connected to the container and convey the stripping gas from the container, or may be connected to the stripping gas source and directly remove the stripping gas from the stripping gas source. It may be conveyed. When the stripping gas is fed into the injector means, which is preferably a venturi injector, the water fed through the injector contacts the stripping gas and the dissolved oxygen present in the water is transferred from the water to the fine bubbles generated by the injector means. And move. These microbubbles contain a mixture of stripping gas and oxygen and are fed with water from the injector means to the container. When water is fed into the container, the stripping gas that may be present in the container is preferably, but not exclusively, exchanged in a 1: 1 volume ratio. This stripping gas is fed back into the injector means, providing even higher efficiency when using the stripping gas.

  Within the container, microbubbles float to the surface of the water in the container and the mixture of stripping gas and oxygen is released into the headspace of the container or into an area above the water. The present invention further comprises stripping gas conveying means for feeding stripping gas into an empty container in order to prevent reintroduction of oxygen into the deoxygenated water when treated water enters the container. May be included. The overall preferred but optional effect of this oxygen stripping is to prevent the survival of aquatic organisms that are typically present in ballast water, with or without the inhibition of corrosion.

  The start and stop of the water treatment occurs simultaneously with the start and stop of the water intake of the ship. Water can be further processed using a recirculation mechanism. The need can be determined by a series of sensors including gaseous oxygen and dissolved oxygen sensors that are present in the container and optionally record the dissolved oxygen concentration in the water to verify disinfection. If it is necessary to activate the recirculation mechanism, the stopping action is preferably but optionally controlled by control panel means connected to the sensors and valves.

From the above, it can be understood that the water treatment system and method of the present invention can be used as an efficient water treatment without using chemicals while simultaneously serving as corrosion inhibition.
Although the present embodiments of the water treatment system and method have been described in detail, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible and all fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention. As such, for the above description, the optimal dimensional relationships for the components of the present invention include those in the art, including changes in size, material, shape, form, function, operation, assembly and use. It will be appreciated that all relationships which are considered to be readily apparent and obvious and which are equivalent to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be included in the present invention. For example, any suitable cylindrical tube made of various metals, plastics, or other rugged materials may be used as the described transfer pipe means and / or recirculation pipe means. Furthermore, although water treatment using both stripping gas induced deoxygenation has been described, preferably in a ship, having both aqueous species disinfection and corrosion inhibiting properties, the water treatment described herein. The system and method may also be suitable for a wide range of water treatment applications, including wastewater management, agricultural applications, pool and hot spring applications, oil and gas applications, and various disinfection applications. In addition, a wide range of holds and tanks of many shapes and sizes and non-closed water bodies may be used in place of the basic container or ballast tank described. Furthermore, the method, configuration, size, shape, pressure and volume requirements may be matched to a wide range of ships of a wide range of shapes and sizes, and the closed recirculation system and method described is from a container. It may be transferable to another container. The present invention is further used with a wide range of pumps, containers, stripping gas generators or sources, pressure valves, and other components that are necessary for the present invention but are already present in a ship or other processing location. You can also.

  Accordingly, what has been described above is considered merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Further, since many variations and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact configuration and operation illustrated and described, and thus, all suitable variations And equivalents may be reclassified as falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims (20)

Injector means having an inlet port for receiving water, an injector port for receiving oxygen stripping gas, and an outlet port for discharging said water;
A container,
With
The water passes through the injector means, thereby contacting the oxygen stripping gas received through the injector port;
A water treatment system in which the water is discharged from the outlet port to the vessel. An oxygen stripping gas source, a first stripping gas transfer means, and a second stripping gas transfer means;
The first stripping gas conveying means connects the stripping gas source to the container;
The water treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the second stripping gas transfer means connects the container to the injector port of the injector means. An oxygen stripping gas source and a third stripping gas conveying means;
The system for water treatment according to claim 1, wherein the third stripping gas transfer means connects the stripping gas source to the injector port of the injector means. Further comprising third oxygen stripping gas conveying means,
The water treatment system according to claim 2, wherein the third stripping gas transfer means connects the stripping gas source to the injector port of the injector means.   The water treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the container is a water mass. Further comprising transfer pipe means,
The injector means is connected in series to the transfer pipe means;
The inlet port receives water from the transfer pipe means;
The water treatment system of claim 1 wherein the outlet port discharges water to the vessel through the transfer pipe means.   The water treatment system of claim 1, further comprising a booster blower that regulates the oxygen stripping gas received by the injector port.   The water treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the container is a ship ballast tank.   The water treatment system according to claim 1, further comprising pump means for receiving water from an external water source.   The water treatment system of claim 1, further comprising a regulator that regulates the oxygen stripping gas received by the injector port. Further comprising a sensor mounted in the container;
The water treatment system of claim 1 wherein the sensor is controlled by control panel means. Further comprising recirculation means;
A recirculation pipe means extends from the container;
The water treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the water is received by the inlet port of the injector means. Utilizing an injector means having an inlet port for receiving water, an injector port for receiving oxygen stripping gas, and an outlet port for discharging the water;
Supplying water to be treated to the inlet port;
Supplying the oxygen stripping gas to the injector port to provide countless fine bubbles in the water, and diffusing oxygen in the water from a water phase to a gas phase in the fine bubbles; and Releasing water and the fine bubbles from the outlet port into the container, and removing the oxygen from the water by releasing the fine bubbles from the water;
A method for deoxygenating water.   The method of deoxygenating water according to claim 13, wherein the step of removing the oxygen from the water is for the purpose of preventing the presence of organisms in the water.   The method of deoxygenating water according to claim 13, wherein the step of removing the oxygen from the water is for the purpose of suppressing corrosion.   The water deoxygenation method according to claim 14, wherein the container is a ballast tank, and the organism is common in ballast water.   The water deoxygenation method according to claim 13, further comprising a step of supplying an oxygen stripping gas to the container for the purpose of suppressing corrosion in the container.   14. The method of deoxygenating water according to claim 13, further comprising the step of recirculating the water through the injector means for the purpose of providing further deoxygenation.   14. The method of deoxygenating water according to claim 13, further comprising the step of oxygenating the water again before releasing the water from the vessel into the surrounding waterway.   The water deoxygenation method according to claim 13, wherein the container is a water mass.

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